La Belle Dame Sans Merci
by Water-smurf
Summary: If she thought that the horrors were over, Coraline was wrong. But this time, it's her own mind and actions that are dragging her down. The Beldam holds two people hostage, but it doesn't seem like she wants to sew the buttons anymore... WxC OWxC
1. Oh, What Can Ail Thee?

A/N: This is a Coraline fic that focuses a lot on the likely effect of such a traumatic incident like the Beldam, and this is a warning. I've also not had this beta'd because of the severe lack of betas in this fandom, so if you find a mistake or have a suggestion on how to make it better, please tell me.

Warning for the entire story: Violence, implied underage sex, implied drug use, mental disease, possibly percieved OOCness (although I think that I did an okay job of portraying traumatized!Coraline despite not being a psychologist/psychiatrist), and underage drinking. I believe that sums it all up.

* * *

A hand was stroking her hair gently. Fingers ran through the strands, giving her a warm feeling in her chest. She could swear she felt someone smiling at her. These weren't the thin needle-like fingers of _her._ These were thick, clumsy fingers that somehow were able to be gentle and treat her like a porcelain doll.

She wondered vaguely who it was. She had a hunch, a hunch that she desperately clung to. It gave her hope. So she didn't open her eyes. If she did and she was wrong, her heart really would break.

A small, gentle kiss was placed on her cheek. The lips were rough, like cloth, but the tenderness with which they touched her completely destroyed the coarse effect. She remembered those lips. Now she knew that it was a dream.

The hand started to slip from her hair, but she quickly grasped it, keeping her eyes screwed shut. There was a soft intake of air from the owner of the hand. They must have been under the impression that she was asleep. "Please don't go…"

Fingers ran along her own, coaxing her to loosen her grip. She did so reluctantly, curling up and clenching her teeth, tears leaking out of her closed eyes against her will.

There was a hesitation. The clumsy fingers touched her face, wiping the tears away lovingly. In the distance, she could hear screaming. She felt the hand stiffen.

Her cheek was kissed again and she woke up.

Coraline sat up sharply, casting her eyes around for any sign of her visitor. Nothing.

Her cheeks were still wet, though.

She roughly wiped any remnants of tears away. Light cascaded from her window, falling on her bed and warming her through the covers. She jumped out, wiggling her toes in the new floor carpet her parents had bought her.

It felt like there was a stone in her stomach. She let out a sigh, opening the window slowly. Damned dreams. She loved them, but she hated the desperate feeling of sadness and longing that came afterwards.

Maybe she could pretend that she was still sleeping for a while. Her parents wouldn't check to make sure, and she wanted to be away from them for a while. Hell, they probably weren't even in the house anymore.

She sat on the roof, leaning back and closing her eyes. It had been almost one whole year since the Other Mother. She had had nightmares of seeing her Other Father drown in the water… of the Other Mother pinning her down and sewing buttons in her eyes… of the Other Wybie…

Oh Wybie…

She tried to drive him from her mind. Her heart ached. He had known what would have happened if he had helped her, if he had even felt bad for her. He was mute but he wasn't stupid.

Damn it. Damn it all to hell. She was going to cry again if she thought about him.

But the nightmares had stopped about a month ago. They were replaced by the dream of the person stroking her hair.

She ground her teeth together, reaching back in the window and grabbing a pack of cigarettes. She took out one and lit it, taking a small puff. She had started smoking a month after the Other Mother. A kid offered her one and she didn't say no. They made her feel better, calmed her nerves. She always felt like the Other Mother was right behind her, reaching out to grab her eyes.

Wybie, this world's Wybie, had been trying to help her quit since he found out about her new habit eight months ago, the same time he found out about her drinking problem. She was grateful for the help. Her parents loved her, but they had no clue about the real torment she was going through. She had been getting into fights at school, her grades were dropping until they hit rock-bottom, and she had completely lost interest in everything. Luckily, they hadn't found out about the cigarettes, the alcohol, and the few drugs she sometimes dabbled in. Nonetheless, they sort of panicked and sent her to a shrink.

Her psychiatrist was named Alfred Windsor. He diagnosed her with some mental disorder… Post Traumatic Stress or something… Told her parents that he believed that she had been sexually molested. Now they thought she was raped. But she managed to convince them that nothing like that happened.

Her horrible fear of needles, thread, and above all, _buttons_, left her shrink stumped, though. She never bothered helping him figure out the answer to that one. She would've probably been thrown to the men in white coats if she did.

In the end, it was Wybie who saved her, not those damned anti-depressants her parents practically forced down her throat (though the pills helped, she had to admit). She'd never say that to him, though. He was too shy, too bashful to accept such praise. He had been the one hanging around, letting her talk, motivating her to start exploring and gardening again, helping her with her schoolwork, slowly weaning her off all the smoking and drinking she was doing, slinking around like a guard dog and pulling her back when it looked like she was going to get in a fight… he had been supporting her through the whole thing. She had a feeling that he was affected by the incident too, but he always denied it.

She took another drag of her cigarette. She knew she should feel guilty for smoking, but Wybie wasn't here to try to grab it away. And the feeling of her visitor's kiss was still on her cheek…

There was a soft meow at her side. Coraline looked down, reflexively reaching out and stroking the cat at her side. He looked up at her, giving her the closest thing to a scowl that he could get to at the sight of the cigarette in her hand. But he didn't try to claw it away. He understood that she must have been in real pain to reach for those things after all the effort she has been putting into quitting.

He cocked his head questioningly, letting out a soft meow. She hesitated before speaking. These dreams… and the subject and reasons behind them… they were something she hadn't even shared with Wybie.

"I dreamt about him."

The cat gave her a small glare, as if to say '_Would you please be more specific?_'

"The Other Wybie."

His tail lashed slightly, but he gave a small dip of his head in understanding. He licked her hand gently, his rough tongue licking away the salt that wiping her tears had left.

"I… we… we almost kissed, once."

The cat dipped his head again, not letting surprise flit across his face.

"It wasn't on purpose."

_Coraline was grinning widely, suppressing giggles as Spink and Forcible bickered on the stage, jumping up and down in time to the music. The Other Wybie looked at her, smiling, and touched her hand lightly. _

_She stiffened slightly in surprise, but relaxed and held his hand gently. His smile widened and he looked back at the stage, his button eyes holding more emotion than she had seen in most others in this world. _

"We just sort of… fell together."

_The Other Wybie held her arm gently, smiling as he helped her walk out of the theater. Her legs were wobbling from the acrobatics the sisters had put her through and she was grateful for the assistance. She grinned and tickled his nose lightly with the rose he had thrown her. "You have good aim. Have you been carrying this around all day for me?"_

_He gave her a sheepish look, blushing gently. She giggled, kissing his cheek playfully, noting how it was rough as cloth. "Thank you, Wybie."_

_He blushed again, harder this time, and stumbled. She fell down with a yelp and dragged him down with her to the carpeted theater floor. _

_The world spun for a brief moment before it resumed its shape. Coraline was suddenly really glad that Other Wybie had brought her to the dark part of the entrance way that no one could see or bothered to go to. He was on top of her, their faces and lips mere centimeters apart. For a weird moment, she was tempted to close the gap between them. His mouth was in a small 'O' of surprise, but he didn't try to get off for a moment. She reached up, touching his rough cloth-like lips gently, trying to think of something to say. _

_"It didn't hurt when she made you mute, did it?"_

_The Other Wybie closed his mouth, crawling off of her and allowing her to trace the outline of his lips. He shrugged, cocking his head. She wondered briefly why she had never pressed the matter after she first tried asking the question. _

_"How could you not know?"_

_He hesitated, touching her hand lightly. _

_He seemed to decide to not answer. He just smiled sadly, helped her stand up, and walked her out of the theater. _

Coraline let out a frustrated sigh, taking another heavy drag. She could only imagine what Other Wybie would do if he saw her smoking because of him. He would probably just take her arm tightly and lower it, shaking his head sharply.

The cat let out a loud meow, curling around her gently. Her next words were dead and completely devoid of emotion. "He's dead because of me. He had that awful smile sewn on just for me. All because… because he wanted to protect me…" She slammed a fist on the roof. "WHY did he want to protect me?! Why did either of them want to protect me?!"

She wished she had a good bottle of whiskey or something in her hand. At least she'd be able to swig and smash the glass. "THEY KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO DIE! THEY SAVED ME! _THEY SAVED ME!_"

Before she knew it, she ripped a shingle from the roof and threw it violently at the ground, getting satisfaction from the audible crack of its breaking. The cat let out a loud yowl, jumping from the roof and landing on the ground.

"Is this a bad time, Coraline?"

She stood up, looking down at the ground to see Wybie cowering on her porch steps, shielding his head from falling shingles.

She jumped to the ground, barely wincing at a small sharp pain in her leg. Coraline didn't bother hiding the cigarette in her hand. Why try? Her parents were probably in church anyway at this point. They always were when she woke up on Sundays.

Wybie looked at the cigarette in her hand, frowning. "Did something happen?"

Coraline took a long drag. Her friend had gotten a lot more comfortable around her. He was now able to actually talk to her without diverting his eyes or stumbling over his words.

"Nightmare," she said shortly. "I need a drink."

"No, Coraline, you haven't had one for a month now!" Wybie said, wringing his hands slightly. "You'll undo all the work…"

"You don't expect me to just quit cold turkey, do you?"

"It's better for you! Just talk to me about it. I'll even let you keep smoking." He said the last part with a small smile. They both were perfectly aware that he could never physically stop her from smoking if she didn't want him to. She was strong, and the last time he actually succeeded she ended up getting her stress and emotions out by crying and turning up at their usual meeting place high as a kite. How someone their age got half the things she got her hands on, Wybie would never know.

Coraline hesitated.

"Please. You only make it worse when you get loopy and you know it. I'm here to talk if you like," he said, giving a small smile and gesturing to himself shyly. He was still slumping subconsciously, making himself smaller.

She hesitated for a moment more, craving the nice buzz she got when she raided her mother's whiskey storage. But she turned away. "Let's go to the well."

They were silent as they walked. Wybie had become very good at picking out when Coraline was in the kind of sullen mood she wished to be taken out of and when she was in the kind that she wanted to brood. The cat, _their_ cat, walked at their feet, meowing ever so often.

As soon as Coraline's cigarette burnt into nothing but a butt, she put it out on the inside of her wrist. Wybie winced, reaching out to stop her, but a small glare from her made him pause. She was in a serious mood.

She put the butt in her pocket, a habit she had picked up to avoid littering, and she immediately took out another one and lit it. Whatever her nightmare was, it must have been awful, Wybie mused.

"Coraline, those things are bad for you. They get your lungs all full of tar and icky stuff like that," Wybie said gently.

"I don't care right now," she mumbled.

"Aw, come on, Jonesy. Don't go all 'life isn't worth living' on me!" Wybie said, smiling weakly and touching her shoulder playfully. "I might need to call your shrink on you."

"You wouldn't dare!" Coraline smiled, a rare occurrence. "I already have to take three pills a day!"

"Wow, really?" Wybie laughed playfully. "You sure you didn't ask your shrink for more?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. I usually leave that to the dealers near school," she said, grinning and shoving him lightly.

Wybie smiled and laughed at the admittedly off-color joke, looking up at the circle of mushrooms that marked the well. "Here we are."

Coraline sat at the stump, hugging her knees and staring at the well warily. One of the plethora of nightmares that had—and still do, really—terrorized her was of the Other Mother's hand coming out of there and killing Wybie or killing her or letting the Other Mother out…

"You're really scared, huh?"

She looked up. Wybie was still slouching, one arm on one knee while sitting by her, but his eyes were sad and his face was serious.

"Yeah."

He looked down at the well, shifting slightly. "I am too. Not as much as you, but I'm scared of that little… needle-hand-thing coming back and throwing me into the well and dragging you back to that Other Mother or whatever she is. I've had some nightmares about it. But… hey, you sleep just above the place where it came from."

Coraline nodded slowly, taking a very long drag and puffing the smoke out in the opposite direction of Wybie's face politely. "Yeah. I haven't gotten a lot of sleep because of that. I must've had… about three hours a night for the last two weeks. Tops. I'm usually able to get rid of the headaches with an Advil and wake up with several cups of coffee."

"What?!" Wybie sputtered for a bit, clumsily pushing her to the ground lightly. "Then you should be sleeping! You can't go with that little sleep for so long!"

Coraline cast a wary glance at the well.

"I'll stay with you and keep watch. Promise."

She hesitated, but natural instinct screamed at her to get the sleep while she can. Coraline nodded, smiling gratefully, and lay down, snuggling up to him so her head was in his lap. She could here his nervous chuckling and his cheeks flushed darkly, but she just responded with a tired smile and closed her eyes. She was asleep immediately.

_"Hello, my little doll."_

_Coraline looked up sharply, her eyes darting for the source of the voice. If she could see it, she could fight it. _

_The source just chuckled softly. _

_"Your mother is not here right now. No need to worry your little head." _

_Two hands touched her shoulders. Coraline turned around quickly, relaxing a fraction when she saw it was her Other Father, no longer a drooping pumpkin. "I thought you were dead!"_

_"Oh, I was there for a bit." He didn't offer any clarification and hugged her gently, something she returned enthusiastically. "I've been watching you, butter-bee. We all have. Why are you hurting yourself so much?"_

_"Shrink says PTSD. I blame my Other Mother."_

_"Maybe you're right, Coraline."_

_She hesitated, looking down. "If you're alive, does that mean that Wybie…"_

_"Yes."_

_Coraline looked up sharply. _

_"He's been particularly upset about what has been happening to you. He wishes he could come and see you now, but your mother is watching him closely; she has noticed that he has been missing for a few nights."_

_"So he's the one…?"_

_"Yep." Her Other Father smiled, leading her slowly down the misty hallway they were in. "I approve of both versions of your friend."_

_She opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but then she felt a cold chill settling in her spine. Her Other Father looked up sharply in fear, and promptly disappeared. _

_"Darling… I have what you want…"_

_An all too familiar shadow formed in front of her, holding out two dolls with needle-like hands. One was her Other Father. One was… Other Wybie. "We wouldn't want anything to happen to them, would we?"_

_Slowly, the hand ran its fingers through the dolls, allowing the sand that filled them to drain slowly._


	2. So Haggard and Woe Begone

A/N: This is mostly transition. Considering I usually suck at this kind of chapter, I think I did okay. ^.^

* * *

Coraline woke with a start. The cat was in front of her, licking his paw elegantly. Wybie's forehead was lightly brushing her hair and he was breathing evenly.

"Was that real? Are they in trouble?" she whispered softly, trying to keep from waking Wybie. The cat glanced at her quietly, giving a very small nod.

She slipped out of Wybie's lap, standing and starting to pad to the well quietly. There was a soft grunting sound, signaling her friend's awakening. "Coraline…?"

She knelt at the well and opened it.

"Coraline! What are you doing?!"

Wybie jumped up quickly, his eyes widening. She reached into the bag on her belt that she always slept with at night. It had all the materials she'd need if the Other Mother came back while she was sleeping. "I'm saving some people who saved me. Hold this for me, would you?"

She handed him the end of an extremely long rope. She had saved up her allowance to buy the best and longest rope in the hardware store, along with the other supplies in her pouch. Coraline probably had a reputation with the store clerks now.

"Coraline, that thing is down there! Why do you think these people need help?"

"I had a dream, and the cat confirmed it. I need to… I need to go back. I need to save them."

She took the rope and threw the edge of it over the side of the well. Wybie reflexively braced himself, watching with wide eyes as she climbed down, depending on him to keep a tight grip on it. "A _dream?!_"

"Yeah."

He leaned back, tightening his grip on the rope. "And the cat said it was true?"

"He gestured it."

There was a soft splash and the sound of someone going underwater.

Wybie shifted nervously, counting the seconds under his breath. He swore that if she had been under there without signal for thirty seconds, he'd tie the rope around the tree and, safety be damned, he'd jump in after her.

But that wasn't necessary. There was another splash to say she had risen to the surface, and he leaned back again to pull her up. "You're going to get hurt based on a dream and a gesture a cat made."

"Yep."

She crawled on to land, soaking wet and gasping for air softly. Wybie blushed darkly, noting her damp pajamas. He helped her up carefully, averting his eyes from the dreaded button key in her hand.

Coraline whispered quiet thanks, closing the well and starting to walk back to her house. Wybie trotted after her with the cat at his heels. "Please, let's think about this…"

"If I think about it, I'll get too scared. And they need me."

"That thing nearly threw me in a well!"

"The whole thing nearly sewed buttons in my eyes and ate my soul!"

Her fingers twitched for something, anything, that would calm her down. She would take out a cigarette, but she had forgotten to take the packet out before she jumped into the water. Stupid. She wanted a drink, a joint, a pill, _anything!_

Damn it. She was way too addicted to that crap.

"Coraline…"

She jumped on to her porch, opening the door and ducking inside. Wybie wouldn't follow her in there. She knew that.

"Coraline!"

Oh dear God in heaven, he did.

"Seriously, stop!"

She hesitated at the door to the parlor, instinct screaming at her to stay away and screw her Other Friends. But she couldn't listen to it. She had to do this.

Coraline patted her belt pouches, making sure everything she needed was there. Flashlight, knife, needle, thread, pen, paper, rations, extra rope, another seeing stone Spink and Forcible had given her… And her parents thought she was paranoid for sleeping with this stuff…

"Coraline!" Wybie grabbed her arm, taking her by surprise. He almost never asserted himself physically, especially not with her. She glanced at him in confusion, grabbing the hat that she had left on the parlor table all those months ago just in case and putting it on her head.

"Wybie?"

"Coraline, it was a dream. Just a nightmare. You… you were through a lot."

"I need to find the Other Mother. I need to help my friends." She knelt at the little door slowly, taking a breath and putting on her hat.

Wybie abruptly frowned and furrowed his brow. "You're going behind the bricked-up door?"

"Duh, Wybie. That's where the Other World is." She grit her teeth, taking out the key and slowly inserting it into the lock.

"You mean you were literal about that?"

Coraline looked up sharply, freezing up. "What did you say?"

"I…" Wybie looked at his feet awkwardly, lacing his fingers together. "I thought that it was all a metaphor for something. I thought that… you know… someone took you away and touched you or something. And that metal spider thing… I don't know, maybe it was something that the guy who hurt you made?"

Coraline didn't say anything for a long moment. "You think I'm crazy too, don't you?"

He hugged himself. "Coraline, I really like you. You're my friend. Maybe… your brain was messing with itself to try to save you from what was happening? I've heard of that happening plenty to child trauma victims…"

"Get out, Wybourne." He flinched from her cold use of his full name. "I'll deal with this myself."

"Coraline, please…"

She didn't listen to his pleading tone. She unlocked the door, blocking out the fear that was threatening to overwhelm her, and swung it open.

The tunnel, back in its glowing pink and blue glory, was there. Wybie's eyes widened as he looked at it, his mouth moving but no words coming out.

Coraline crawled in, the cat following her closely. "She is simply setting up another trap."

"Of course. I know."

"Hey, wait up!"

Coraline looked back, watching as Wybie crawled his way up to her. "If this whole thing is true, I want to see the garden and that crazy guy's circus," he said with a grin. Coraline smiled widely, blinking her thanks.

"I suggest you both be quiet. She will not accept a challenge this time—she is going to take what she wants with as little risk as possible to herself. You will have to depend on stealth."

Wybie's eyes widened. "So the cat _can_ talk!"

"Didn't I tell you?" Coraline looked down at the cat. "How will we be able to be stealthy if she knows we're there?"

"Be like me. Be quiet. She will be busy keeping her hostages firmly in her grasp—there was a reason they specifically did not tell you they were in danger. They didn't want you to risk yourself."

"Who are these hostages anyway?" Wybie asked softly.

"They're… um, well, one's my Other Father. The other is you."

Wybie gave her a confused glance. "What?"

"The Other You. The Other Wybie. He and my Other Father… they saved my life…" she took a breath, trying to calm herself down, "they saved my life when they knew they would be tortured and killed. I guess my Other Father had it relatively easy. He was just drowned. But Wybie…" She quickly looked away, the images of his sewn-on smile, his disintegrating hand, and his clothes blowing gently in the breeze flashing through her mind's eye. "I don't want to talk about it."

Wybie nodded, paling slightly. He didn't seem to want to talk about his other too much either.

"To answer your burning question this morning, they sacrificed themselves because they care about you at the very least," the cat said elegantly, holding his head up. "They were made by her to do just that: care about you. I suppose she made them too well, because it evolved into love that overruled her authority and their fear of punishment."

Coraline just sniffled gently, wiping her eyes. "They did their jobs well," she said softly.

"I promise I'll help find them," Wybie said softly, touching her back comfortingly. "After all, I want to see what I'm like all brave." He grinned playfully, and Coraline smiled back.

"Don't forget the button eyes. Everyone there has button eyes. And you're brave here. I doubt anyone else would've come to my rescue if they saw a metal spider-needle hand strangling me with my own key necklace."

"Eh, I'm sure anyone else would've done it. I sort of panicked, you know?" Wybie grinned. "Well, we'll try to make sure that none of this Other Mother's hands try to strangle you or throw me down a well this time, right?"

"Right."

They looked up, noticing that they had come to the door. Coraline took a deep breath and opened it.


	3. On Thy Cheek a Fading Rose

A/N: In this, one could argue that Coraline is extremely OOC. In my defense, one becomes a completely different person when drunk.

* * *

There weren't any bugs in the room. It was… just like how the Other Parlor looked on her first visit. She crawled out, looking up at the portrait of the child about to eat his ice cream.

"Hmm. This is odd."

The cat slid out of the tunnel, followed closely by Wybie. Coraline looked down, frowning. "Where did all the bugs go? How did she recreate all this? I thought I took her powers away when I found the ghost eyes…"

"Apparently, she had enough power to manipulate more children into her grasp. Or there is something else happening." The cat looked around suspiciously, sniffing for danger.

Wybie looked around and shrugged. "Looks pretty innocent to me, you know?"

There was a gentle humming coming from the kitchen, and the smell of cooking steak, potatoes, and garlic wafted through.

"Coraline! Time for dinner!"

The cat frowned, brushing against their ankles. "She knows you are here. Stealth is not going to be effective. Go to her and give her a chance to make her intentions clear. I will be there."

Wybie frowned, awkwardly looking at his feet. Coraline took his arm securely in her own. "You can go if you're scared, Wybie."

He looked up at her, steeling himself and shaking his head. "No, that's okay. You're not going to have to face her alone this time."

They smiled at each other, and both led the other by the arm to the kitchen. Neither was sure who was supporting who.

When they entered the kitchen, the Other Mother had her back to them. Coraline was surprised to note that she was back in the form that looked like her real mother. The Other Mother turned around, smiling and with a bowl of batter in her arms, and Coraline heard Wybie gasp softly at the sight of her button eyes.

"Oh! You brought a friend. Wonderful." She turned around again, humming softly and stirring the batter. "Go into the dining room. I'll serve you both dinner."

"Where's Wybie and my Other Father?" Coraline asked coldly, shifting subconsciously so she was ready to run at a moment's notice.

The Other Mother looked back at her, frowning slightly. "Now, now, that's no way to speak to your mother. Especially with company." She looked at Wybie, dipping her head and smiling. Wybie returned the smile hesitantly, grip tightening on Coraline's arm. "We will talk about your friend at dinner, although I'm afraid that your father is beyond discussion."

She got a disturbing smirk on her face and fingered a pair of spectacles on the counter. Coraline knew who they belonged to. The Other Mother gripped the spectacles, breaking them in one hand. "Now go to the dining room."

Coraline felt her throat closing up and her face draining of color. Wybie let out a very soft moan of fear and took her arms gently, leading her in the direction the Other Mother gestured.

"She killed him, oh, she killed him…"

Wybie stroked her arm as she led her to the set table, sitting her down. "Jonesy, I can't believe I am about to say this, but you need to be brave and show her nothing. This… Other Me is still in trouble."

She nodded slowly, her eyes glazing slightly with stress. "Yeah. Wybie. I need to save him. He saved me so many times."

Wybie swallowed nervously. The look in her eyes disturbed him. He suddenly knew the meaning of fear and trauma—he was seeing it in his friend. And believed that he got a little glance of the reason Coraline had sunk so deeply in her spiral of self-destruction.

There was a tapping of heels on the kitchen floor, and Wybie hurriedly sat down next to Coraline, keeping his gaze squarely on her eyes. The moment the Other Mother stepped inside with the food, the line that was obviously so close to snapping in Coraline's eyes was gone. The blind fear and desperation of a cornered animal were buried away. All that was left was cold, unfeeling determination. She had her mind set on saving this Other Him.

Wybie found himself wondering how far her relationship with his Other ran.

He looked up as a plate piled high with garlic pasta, steak, and a potato was placed in front of him. As an ingrained instinct, he looked up and thanked the Other Mother politely. She smiled at him, the light reflecting off her button eyes disturbingly. "How polite."

She gave food to Coraline, scowling slightly when all the gratitude she got was a small glare. "Coraline, you should be with your friend more often. Maybe you would learn some manners."

Coraline said nothing. Wybie kept watching her eyes for any sign of instability. He was afraid, and the fear wasn't entirely of the Other Mother.

"I want to see Wybie. I want to make sure he's alive and okay."

"He's right there, Coraline," the Other Mother said, smiling and gesturing to Wybie. Wybie flinched slightly, desperately wanting to get out of the spotlight. There was something wrong with the Other Mother's smile, but he was struck by how… well, if it hadn't been for the button eyes, he would have thought he was actually talking to Mrs. Jones.

"I mean the Other Wybie. The one you made mute. The one you sewed the smile on."

Wybie stiffened, blinking and gripping his arms tightly in surprise and fear. What was that? Mute? Sewed on smile?

Coraline was icily calm. She felt the same way she had when she had said that the Other Mother wasn't her mother. The way she had when she challenged her. The same way she had when she tricked her into opening the door.

The Other Mother smiled, taking a sip of water before putting her glass on the table. "Ah. That one. He's been a very naughty boy, but he is alive." She laced her fingers together, tilting her head and still smiling. "He's been sneaking off and going to you in your dreams, as I'm sure you know." She chuckled softly. "I thought I would be able to relax until you were fifteen, Coraline. But boys seem much more assertive than when I was a child."

Wybie choked. Coraline's nose wrinkled slightly. "That's gross. Nothing like that has ever happened. He's visited me. That's pretty much it." That was a total lie, but that was okay. Not like she'd had sex with him or anything (was that even possible?). Come to think of it, she'd never had sex with someone she actually liked. Before the last Other Mother incident, she had never had sex at all.

"Well, you've certainly been a bad girl lately, but we're not here to talk about that." She smiled again, tapping her fingers on the table. "He will be able to keep visiting you. That is how you'll know he is alive." Her smile darkened fractionally. "I'm sure you brought the vermin with you; he can tell you that I am telling the truth. I can't recreate puppets and I can't do anything other than visit dreams. If someone comes to you, they will be as they seem. There is just a teeny 'but' in this equation."

Coraline steeled herself for the buttons.

"You must come back, Coraline."

She frowned in confusion. "What?"

"You defeated me." A dark shadow came over her face, and Wybie squirmed in fear. Coraline didn't even flinch. "That means that you inherit the power of this world, and of me, as we speak. You need to learn, Coraline. It would be… difficult for you if you refused. And especially for your friend." She smiled and leaned forward, her fingers becoming suspiciously thin. "You simply come here every night. And if you complete your training, I'll let your friend go."

Slowly, her smile spread out, dangerously sharp teeth glinting in the light.

"Coraline…" Wybie couldn't help but blurt softly. The Other Mother glanced at him briefly, her button eyes glinting in the light, and looked back at the girl, holding out a hand.

"Do we have a deal, Coraline?"

Coraline hesitated for a moment. Wybie wanted to jump up, grab her wrist, and run for the tunnel. But he couldn't. He was too scared. Her eyes were dead, and somehow, he knew that something awful was happening inside of her.

He watched in horror as his friend reached out, clasping the Other Mother's thin fingers. "For Wybie. We have a deal."

The Other Mother smiled, dipping her head and releasing Coraline's hand. "You know I love you."

"Yeah. Right."

Coraline stood, frowning, and gestured for Wybie to come with her.

"Don't forget what will happen if you do not come back," the Other Mother said sweetly, taking out a needle and thread with a disturbing smile on her face.

"I won't. He never forgot what would happen if he stood by and looked away," Coraline said coldly. Wybie stood, hurriedly going to his friend's side, and they left without touching the food.

Coraline was barely aware when the cat brushed by their ankles, alerting them of his presence. She was barely aware of Wybie at her side. All she could see was poor Other Wybie's sewn-on smile. She was only abstractly aware of the fact that regular-Wybie was leading her to the tunnel.

_"Wybie?!" He tried to hide the grotesque smile from her, but she took his arms away. She tried to be gentle when she undid the stitches. "Is that better?"_

_He made a desperate 'shushing' gesture, looking around fearfully._

She felt like she was in a bubble. She was in a milky bubble, completely blocking her from anything at all. She didn't remember the present anymore. She was just floating in memory, her eyes frozen open and watching.

_"He pulled a looooooong face, and Mother didn't like that."_

Her heart was beating in her ears.

_"Sorry. So sorry. Mother making me. Don't wanna hurt you…"_

No. No.

_"She said that she loved us."_

_"But she locked us here."_

_"And ate up our lives…"_

How many people had this woman killed? How many people had died for her, Coraline, specifically?

_"It didn't hurt when she made you mute, did it?"_

She was crying. The pain was tangible around her.

_"Come on! She'll kill you!"_

_Wybie shook his head, taking off his glove to show a shriveled hand and blowing it away like so much dust. They locked gazes for a too-brief moment, and all the words Coraline wanted to say ran through her mind. And she could see that he wanted to say something too, but that witch had taken that right away from him._

_"HOW DARE YOU DISOBEY YOUR MOTHER?!"_

_He shoved her through the door, shutting it tight behind her._

MAKE IT STOP!

_"Don't remember our names, but I remember my true mommy."_

GOOD GOD SOMEONE MAKE IT STOP!

"Coraline!"

She snapped to awareness, belatedly realizing that she was back in her room, drinking whiskey straight from the bottle. Her head was spinning and her throat was burning, but she didn't give a damn. All her thoughts were fuzzy. It'd get her mind off the Other Mother, that fucking spider bitch…

Wybie slowly stood from the ground, his eyes wide and fearful as blood trickled slowly from his lip. She took the bottle from her lips, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She was swaying on her feet, and had she been sober she would have been able to see that her friend wanted to come forward and help her stand, but she wasn't sober right now.

"Fuck. I gave that to you, didn't I? That fucking cut on your lip."

_"Of course you did. You're just a destructive force of nature. Everyone who cares about you gets hurt. Just like the Other Father. Just like Other Wybie."_

"I-I-I w-was j-just trying to g-get you t-to sn-snap out of it and p-put the b-bottle d-d-down…" Wybie said nervously, edging towards the bed slowly.

"FUCK!" Coraline slammed the bottle against the wall, letting the glass shatter and the remaining liquid splash to the floor. "SHE DID THIS TO ME! Look at me! I'm a mess! Just one big fucking mess for that goddamned spider to eat like so many eyes and buttons or whatever the hell she takes away after she claims a kid. I hurt my friends, I drink, I do drugs, I fucking have sex with whatever bastard I don't care about…"

"Wait, what was that last part?"

"All 'cuz I was too fucking curious…" She swayed violently, slamming against the wall and stabbing the bottle's shattered neck into her hip. Wybie let out a shriek, abandoning all concern for himself and darting forward at near super-human speeds, ripping the bottleneck from her. Blood ran freely. Did the Others bleed when they died for her?

She wrenched herself from Wybie, stumbling out of her room. The only thought circulating right now was that she needed to get away from the house.

Two people were in her kitchen. In her haze, she barely recognized them. They both looked up, and the vision of the same people looking up from a picture flashed in her mind's eye.

_"Where are your buttons, Loper?"_

_"Yeah, don't you want to stay with us?"_

"Surprise! Loper—"

Coraline slammed her fist into the girl's face before she knew what she was doing. Instinct took over. Where eyes and looks of surprise and hurt were, buttons and fury replaced them. Vera and Alfred weren't her best trolls. They were _her_ puppets.

"Stay away from me, button-eyes!" she shouted, her eyes blazing with an intoxicated rage. Vera scrambled up, staring with wide eyes as the friend that she and Alfred had come all the way from Pontiac to give a surprise visit to ran out of the door into the rain. A mystery boy ran down the stairs, taking two steps at a time, and paused only briefly to give them an apologetic look.

"Really sorry! She's really upset and sort of been drinking too much and I sort of need to find her now bye!"

"_Drinking?!_"

But Wybie was already out the door, sliding in the mud and sprinting after Coraline.

"CORALINE!"

He mused in the back of his mind as he picked his bike up from the side of the Pink Palace. He was always the one chasing her, trying to bring her back from something. The one time she chased him, the one time she needed help and assurance that she wasn't insane and completely alone, he had run and called her crazy.

Well, now he was right, wasn't he? Coraline was going insane. And he couldn't do anything about it.

The cat was running besides him, keeping pace with his bike with unrealistic ease. Hey, if the cat could talk, Wybie was willing to accept that it could do anything. He vaguely wondered who the kids in the Jones' kitchen were, but his main concern was his friend.

He skidded to a stop in the middle of the woods by the brook. It was a little down the hill from the old well. Coraline was leaning against a tree, splashing her face with water despite the rain and not caring that it was drenching her just-dried pajamas. At this point, Wybie noted that the pajamas were probably beyond saving.

"Fucking bitch… wants to teach me, huh?... If Wybie wasn't in the balance I would cut off her other fucking hand…"

Wybie nervously stood out of arm's reach, keeping a careful eye on Coraline's bleeding hip. "Hey, Jonesy, this isn't like you. You don't spout swears easy as breathing like Kyle Nichols," he said, smiling slightly when he incited the name of one of the dumbest jocks in their school.

"Kyle can go fuck himself." Coraline picked up a rock, throwing it at a tree across the water. She missed miserably, but she didn't seem too aware of it. It struck Wybie that she hadn't eaten anything that day—the alcohol had a one-way ticket to her head. It'd explain why she was so completely wasted. Maybe the swearing was a side-effect of her anger and the whiskey.

"You must really like this other me."

"He saved my fucking life, Wybie. I was trapped with all the ghost children in the mirror. He knew that the bitch would kill him if he interfered. He still reached in and took me out of there. I slammed him into the wall twice before I realized who he was. And he had an awful stitched-on smile because of me." She sneered at the water, throwing a rock in it to distort her reflection. Apparently, it wasn't distorted enough from the rain. "_Because he pulled a looooooong face, and Mother didn't like that…_" she recited in a voice that seemed like a twisted version of her father's. "Then he helped me to the door. I wanted him to come with me. I tried to get him to come. But he just… blew his hand away like it was sawdust. Other Mother was coming for me. He knew what was going to happen. I should've just dragged him in. But he shoved me into the tunnel before I did and closed the door behind me. And I just left. I just fucking left him to _die._"

She let out a furious howl, standing and flinging a rock at the trees. The rock ripped a sizeable chunk of bark from one of the trees, but her anger wasn't sated. "The next time I went, his clothes were hung like some sick symbol of victory where Mr. B's flagpole is. I thought he was _dead._" She threw another rock, and another, and another. "EVIL BITCH!"

Wybie winced, paling noticeably. "Uh, ah, he was… he was brave…" He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I… uh… can see why you want to save him so bad. But I promised that I'll help you. And I will. Just… you need to get your hip looked at, drink lots of water—I, uh, heard that was good for, um, hangovers—and sleep."

"You expect me to sleep after all this?" she snapped, swaying and stumbling despite the fact she wasn't trying to walk.

"I dunno, Jonesy. You drank a lot. You'll be out like a light," Wybie said, smiling a smile that was a cross between playful and sad. "We can talk and strategize and stuff after all that."

"Oh yeah. And you can explain what's going on to us," someone snapped.

Wybie looked up sharply, but Coraline was too busy swaying to really process what was going on.

Vera and Alfred looked down at the two, crossing their arms and frowning. "What happened to her? She socked me in the jaw!"

"I thought you were one of the button-eyes!" Coraline spun around again, nearly falling at the sudden movement. "She's back. That fucking doll was her spy. Maybe you are too. I'll be sorry for the punch and happy that you're here when I'm sober. I'm not, right now, so I'm concerned with the button-eyes."

Vera gave her a weird look, then she looked at Wybie, glaring. Alfred mirrored her movements, only his glare was triple the intensity. "Did you do this to her, creep?"

Wybie flinched away. "Who, me? N-No. Y-You're all from, um, P-Pontiac? I'm Wybie. I'm, um, Coraline's friend. Uh, l-listen, um, Coraline's bleeding and it doesn't take a lot to know that she, um, needs that to be looked at. Let's just help her to her home, and d-don't take anything she s-says s-s-seriously. She gets r-really, um, different when she's drinking."

Coraline wasn't paying attention anymore. She vaguely felt like someone was watching her. It wasn't the cold, predatory gaze of the Other Mother. It was a familiar gaze that never had a voice. She knew that her friends were talking. She knew she should be upset. She had punched out two people she cared about. She knew that she would be furious at herself because of it when she woke up next. But that didn't matter right then. She was already furious with herself.

She barely paid any attention to what happened after all that.

---

_"So, Coraline, why do you think that your nightmares have changed?" Dr. Windsor asked, leaning back in his chair and watching the girl carefully. _

_She didn't bother making up a lie. He thought she was making it all into one giant metaphor to shield herself from the truth anyway. "One of the people the Other Mother made for me is visiting me. He's protecting me from the nightmares. He wouldn't let her sew the buttons into my eyes." _

_"Hmm." Dr. Windsor dipped his head pensively. She hated it when he 'hmmed' at her. "You seem to have a lot of confidence in this boy." _

_"He saved my life." _

_"How?"_

_"He took me out of the mirror and pushed me through the door. He knew that he would die."_

_"Yet he is visiting your dreams." Dr. Windsor sipped delicately from a thermos on a small table next to his cushy chair. _

_"Turns out he's not as dead as I thought."_

_The psychiatrist nodded slowly, keeping his face expressionless. Coraline always found him to be more doll-like than most of the Other people. All he needed was a pair of buttons. He'd fit right in. _

_"Did he help the ghost children as well?"_

_"By extension. He saved me and I saved them." _

_"You say that you are going to save this boy?"_

_"Yeah. The Other Mother says all I have to do is learn how to be like her. And she'll let him go."_

_"Do you love him?"_

_If had been anyone else, Coraline would have stuttered and punched him out. But he was like an inanimate object. It was like talking to a dog. _

_Well, actually, it was easier than talking to a dog. If a cat could talk, who's to say that a dog couldn't? _

_"I don't know. The only love I've experienced is love for my mom, dad, and friends, you know?"_

_The psychiatrist nodded slowly. "And this Other Mother is teaching you her craft?"_

_"I guess. I don't know."_

_"Are you afraid you will turn out to be like her?"_

_"…"_

_"Coraline?"_

_"…"_

_"Coraline…?"_


	4. Her Hair was Long and Her Eyes were Wild

A/N: Here's the next chapter.

* * *

The fingers were back. They stroked her hair gently, soothing away the headache within. Coraline hesitated, letting the fingers play across her face and brush her eyelids lightly, urging her to open them.

She paused for a moment more, and then took a leap of faith. She opened her eyes.

A pair of warm button eyes met her. She gasped, sitting up quickly in bed and hugging her visitor tightly. "Wybie…"

Other Wybie smiled widely, hugging her hard and stroking her back lovingly. He didn't say anything, as Coraline expected. He just communicated what he could through touch and touch alone.

"Oh God, Wybie. Don't worry. The Other Mother will let you go soon…"

Other Wybie pulled away, his smile falling away and his buttons shining with fear. He touched his left button and looked at Coraline with horrified questioning.

"No, she's not going to sew the buttons in my eyes. She wants to teach me how to be like her. I don't know, something about me beating her…"

He jerked slightly, shaking his head sharply and holding her face in his hand. She realized with a small jerk in her heart that his right hand had not come back. "You don't want me to learn from her?"

There was a screaming in the distance, and Other Wybie looked back sharply. He pushed her back on the bed and impulsively kissed her forehead.

Coraline's eyes snapped open.

Her room was dark. Had she really spent the entire day? Luckily, her head only had a slight headache from hangover. Wybie had probably forced her to drink a lot of water before she had gone to sleep. She'd have to thank him.

Damn it. She had hit him. And Vera.

She buried her face in her pillow with a frustrated growl. What was going on with her? Why was she hurting the people who just wanted to help? Damn. This was all because she was too damn weak to not reach immediately for alcohol. She used to not be that weak. There was something wrong.

Yeah. She was an alcoholic at the age fourteen. New record. Whooo…

She sat up, sighing. The reality of the situation settled in her stomach. Everything was going wrong. But she was too. Wybie and Vera hadn't done anything, and she would have saved them a bruise, a cut, and a few hurt feelings. What would happen next? Would she take out something sharp? Would she try to sew buttons?

She shuddered. Just because she was the Other Mother's pupil now didn't mean she'd sew buttons on people.

Coraline crawled to the foot of the bed, looking down at the place she had broken the bottle. It still smelled strongly of whiskey, but all the glass had been picked away. Wybie had probably cut up his fingers awfully.

She sighed. No. She wasn't going to hurt him again. Her fists tightened in determination in her lap. She broke her whiskey bottle. She swore not to touch any other.

Of course, her head had to ruin the moment by giving her a big pulse of pain.

She moaned softly, but she forced herself to stand up. She noted that there was a glass on her bedside table next to her picture of Alfred and Vera, presumably containing water, her mood was more stable, suggesting someone had given her her daily pills, her pajamas had been changed, and her hip was clumsily but passably wrapped. Wybie, and possibly Vera and Alfred, had been busy.

Coraline smiled despite the situation, a surge of affection for all her friends warming her heart. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought.

There was a soft meowing at her door, and then an even softer knock.

"Wybie?"

The door opened slowly and he peaked in. They both smiled at each other at the same time and he padded in quietly.

"Oh God, Wybie." She came forward and hugged him gently. He blushed and clumsily hugged her back. "How's your lip?"

He pulled away, smiling and shrugging. "Ah, you know me. I can deal with a little bloody lip."

"What about Vera and Alfred?"

"They went to the hotel they're staying at. I explained the version of events your shrink's been giving your parents. They told me to say that they're there for you and you all can talk later when I'm not around."

"Well, at least they don't think I'm going crazy," she said, giving Wybie a pointed look, but the glimmer of amusement gave her away.

Wybie just grinned cheekily in response. "What'd you expect? You were babbling about my grandma's doll being a spy."

"Well, she was. Do you have any Advil?"

"I thought you'd need that." He reached into one of his many pockets and pulled out a pill. "Hey, was it okay that we gave you your pills while you were drunk?"

"Well, I'm not supposed to take it with alcohol, but I guess that it's better than not taking it at all." She sat on the bed, taking the cup of water next to her and taking it with the Advil. "I've become such a pill-popper. I gotta work on that."

"Hey, you hit me a lot less when you're loopy."

"But I also happen to feel like my head's wrapped in cotton."

"You don't feel like that now, right?"

"Nah. Not now." The cat jumped up on Coraline's bed, curling up in her lap. Wybie sat besides her right on the edge, blushing slightly. "But we need to figure out what to do for the Other You. I don't trust the Other Mother."

"Yeah. The cat and I were talking, and while we were with your Other Mother, he found the Other Me."

"What?" She stiffened, her eyes widening. "Why didn't you say this before? Don't answer that. What happened?"

"He said that the Other Me is still alive. But he doesn't want you to go to… what's the word he used?... Right, Beldam. He doesn't want you to save him."

"I don't understand…" Coraline frowned, the image of Other Wybie's upset face flashing through her mind.

"I didn't either. The cat just said that Other Me was scared about you being around her. I'm quoting the cat here when I say 'he doesn't want you to lose yourself.' Don't ask me what that means." Wybie leaned back, frowning at the ceiling. "Does Other Me like banana slugs?"

"What? Wybourne!" Coraline chuckled briefly, pushing her friend gently. "But I don't get it either. Cat?"

She glanced down at the cat. He elegantly sat up, licking his paw and glaring at them as if to say '_I will work on it._' He always hated admitting that he didn't know something.

"I thought he was mute. How can he talk to the cat?"

"Something about superior senses, right?" Coraline looked down at the cat, smirking slightly in amusement. His ears twitched and he narrowed his eyes, sensing that he was being mocked.

Coraline stood slowly, brushing herself off. "Coraline, your parents called earlier. They said that something came up and they were going to be out of town for a bit. They said they were sorry they missed you."

She didn't pause. "They've been going out more often lately. Something about trying to get a promotion, I think."

"Where are you going?"

"The Other Mother said I had to go back to her every night." She looked up, cold, unflinching determination in her eyes. "I don't care whether or not Other Wybie wants me to see her. I'm going to save him."

"Coraline…"

"Stay here. If your Grandma calls, go to her. You can worry if I'm not back in the morning."

She left without looking back at her friend. The cat padded quietly at her heels.

---

_"Your parents tell me that your friends from Pontiac are visiting."_

_Coraline hugged her knees, staring at the blank yellow ceiling. This room was so bland. It smelled like wood polish, and the fact she always visited Dr. Windsor in the hospital's psych ward made her nervous. Would her parents one day not come back to pick her up? Will she become a permanent fixture to her psychiatrist's office?_

_"Yeah."_

_"Does that make you feel anything?"_

_"I'm glad they're here. But I can't get distracted. He's depending on me."_

_"Ah, yes. The boy who protected you from the Other Mother."_

_Coraline nodded slowly. _

_"Coraline, do you believe that this is becoming an obsession?"_

_"It has to. His life is at stake. I already lost my Other Father." She sighed, burying her face in her knees. _

_Dr. Windsor leaned forward slightly. She didn't look up at his face. He didn't have a face in her mind. He was the faceless doctor without even a pair of button eyes. "Don't you think that it would be healthy to play with your old friends?"_

_"Maybe. But my health isn't what's concerning me right now."_

_"Your mental health should be your main concern. You are very sick, Coraline."_

_She looked up, staring past the psychiatrist and at the window. "I know."_

---

"Ah. So you came back."

The room was dark. Too dark. Coraline could barely see through it. But thin needle fingers stroked her hair, sending shudders down her spin. "I thought you lost your hand."

"A hand is easy to recreate, Coraline. It is made of needles. All you need are the skill and the tools. Before long, you will have both."

A light came on. Fire. Like a candle. Coraline didn't know how or where. It lit up a cozy room. A workshop.

Coraline shuddered when she saw all the macabre half-finished dolls, sawdust, and dolls with missing parts. She couldn't help but remember that these dolls might as well be living, breathing humans. A window opening to the night sky was on the far wall, and a small old-fashioned sewing machine was on top of a table, and counters littered the place, as well as drawers and cloth and materials in general. It seemed messy and well-used at first glance, but Coraline felt that she would be able to find her way around it easily after a few days.

"Why are you teaching me about this?" Coraline asked, refusing to be intimidated by the sight of the Other Mother's true, cracked, spider-like form.

The Other Mother turned predatory buttons on her. "All will become clear." She forced a smile, delicately opening one of the drawers with a needle-like hand and picking out a needle and a spool of thread. She placed the tools on the counter next to Coraline, taking out a few pieces of cloth and handing them to the girl. "Show me what sewing you can do."

Coraline frowned, but she obediently picked up the needle and threaded it, being sure to tie the two ends together after cutting the string. The Other Mother remained expressionless. Coraline slowly sewed the pieces of cloth together. She didn't do anything fancy—just what her mother had taught her when she had finally gotten tired of darning her clothes.

When she finished, she tied the thread and cut it free of the needle. She pulled at it experimentally, making sure it could handle movement out of habit. All the practice she had had with darning, sewing, and patching her ripped up clothes was finally coming to use.

She presented it to the expressionless Other Mother. The spider-like woman grasped the cloth, examining the stitching critically. "Firm. Nothing impressive, but a start." She smiled down at Coraline, stroking her hair lightly. Coraline shuddered again slightly, but it was less violent than last time.

"Then you can start teaching me then. The sooner Wybie is safe, the better."

Her Other Mother smirked, dipping her head. "Very well. Now, the first step is learning about the different kinds of stitching…"

---

Wybie quietly padded outside and down to the lower apartment. Coraline had come back from the Other World, but she was sleeping now. He had questioned her about what had happened, but she had said that the Other Mother was teaching her how to sew living dolls and recreate worlds. She didn't seem that upset. More like a residual disturbance that the Other Mother's presence seemed to leave. But, despite that, she seemed much more cheerful than usual. That in itself was odd. Maybe… facing her Other Mother was helping her? He hoped so.

At any rate, he had called his grandmother. She had hesitantly agreed to allow him to stay at the Pink Palace for the night, if only to watch over 'that nice little Coraline of yours' while her parents were gone.

But he was antsy. So he might as well visit someone. Why not the old ladies in the lower apartment?

A few minutes later, he knew exactly why not.

"Oh, you are such a dear. You're watching over Caroline while her parents are gone?" Ms. April Spink asked, grinning widely.

He sighed inwardly, ignoring the mispronunciation and averting his gaze from the angel dogs on the shelves. Good thing Coraline had warned him about those things. He took a sip from his tea quietly. "Yeah. She, uh, had a nightmare last time. I got kinda worried, you know? She's been really having a rough time…" He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"I'm sure she appreciates it, dear." She shifted, smiling. "Would you like me to read your tea leaves?"

She didn't wait for a response as she took the tea cup from him. He shifted nervously, waiting for the old woman to say something.

"Oh dear…" She shifted, frowning. "A great change is coming, and not necessarily for the better. But not to worry, dear. You have friends who are going to help you through it."

Wybie just nodded, worriedly contemplating the implications of the prediction. He hoped that they weren't accurate.

---

"Wybie!"

Coraline grinned and immediately sat up in her dream-bed, hugging Other Wybie tightly. He smiled, hugging her back gently.

He pulled away, picking up a pack of cigarettes from her bedside table and frowning. He didn't need to speak to get his meaning clear. Coraline smiled sheepishly, shrugging a little.

Other Wybie's gaze got more disapproving, but it never lost its soft and gentle sympathetic edge.

"I'm sorry, Wybie. I don't know why I've started doing all this stuff. I… used to never need a crutch. I don't know why I do now."

Other Wybie shook his head slowly, his button eyes becoming understanding. He held her hand gently, trying to get his message across somehow.

The button-eyed boy cocked his head, concentrating, then he hesitantly touched the bandage on her hip. He touched it and pointed to her, shaking his head, and then pointed to his missing hand, holding it close to his chest. She was still strong. She was still able to endure. He then put the cigarettes aside, pointing to her and shaking his head. Coraline was a little confused as to what he was trying to say, but he was either saying that her habit wasn't her fault or that she didn't really need them. (She begged to differ on both points.)

And then he grabbed the doll that Coraline hadn't noticed was still on the chair besides her bed. It was the little-her. The Coraline-doll spy.

He touched the doll's button eyes, nodding slowly. The Other Mother. It was the Other Mother's fault.

Coraline cocked her head in confusion. Other Wybie sighed in frustration, obviously angry at his own inability to speak. He put the doll aside, scowling slightly at himself. Coraline smiled gently. "Thanks for trying, Wybie." She touched his cheek lightly.

Other Wybie looked up pleadingly, shaking his head. He tapped his button eyes with a finger, shaking his head.

"I told you. I'm not having them sewn in."

He shook his head, tapping the buttons again.

"I don't understand…"

Other Wybie frowned, then picked up a few strands of cat hair from her bed.

"Ask Cat?"

He nodded. He stiffened suddenly, and there was screaming in the distance. He kissed her forehead gently and she woke up.

---

'_She is trying to make Coraline like her._'

Wybie looked down at the cat sharply, leaning against the wall of Coraline's kitchen. "What?"

'_The Other Wybie told me so. He doesn't understand how or why, but she is trying to make the girl like her in every way._'

"That's crazy. Coraline would never be like her. She hates the Other Mother…" Wybie nervously shifted.

'_You have not noticed the change about her?_'

Wybie said nothing. He looked at the window, watching rain patter against the panes.

'_Your Other Self is very concerned. He does not want Coraline to lose herself, but he fears that the Beldam has already caused her to._'

Wybie just shook his head, his tightly curled hair bouncing slightly with the movement. "She's strong. She's just… having an off-year. Right?"

The cat just arched an eye-ridge. '_Whether or not his concerns are founded, Wybourne, his main worry is: Coraline is in danger._'

---

"Coraline?"

Coraline didn't feel like talking. She stared at the window above her psychiatrist's head, envying the birds that nonchalantly sang from the tree branches just outside. She hated being in this stuffy room. The warmth was the sort that stuck to you sluggishly, seeping into your bones and making you fall into an uncomfortable sleep. It was awful and dry, the type that made one's lips all parched.

"Coraline."

She couldn't bring herself to pay attention. He was nothing but a doll. And her thoughts were centered on more important things. She had been having her lessons for two weeks now. And each night, the cat came back with messages of increasing desperation from Other Wybie. In her dreams, he had been trying to convince her to stop seeing the Other Mother with more determination. But she hadn't listened. She wouldn't have been able to stop even if she wanted to.

Dr. Windsor shifted, not letting his mood show. "How is your training with the Other Mother?"

"So far she hasn't tried sewing any buttons in my eyes," Coraline said, staring at the window distantly. "And that boy I was talking about? He's still safe. He's missing his hand still and he can't talk, but he's safe."

"Hmm. What about the Ghost Children?"

"What about them?"

"I find them fascinating. Have they appeared again?"

"No. They went to heaven. I saved them from the Beldam."

"Beldam?"

Coraline frowned, still staring at the window. "Yeah. That was their name for her."

Dr. Windsor chuckled softly. "La Belle Dame Sans Merci?"

Coraline looked at him sharply. "What?"

Her psychiatrist smiled. Suddenly, he had a face. Soft features took form, neatly trimmed brown hair came down to his earlobes, and intelligent pale blue eyes were prominent. He wasn't a doll anymore. "La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Coraline. I believe I am beginning to solve this riddle." He leaned forward, clasping his thin fingers together. "Beldam, in the English, is an archaic insult for older women who are seen to be malicious. But the word comes from the French, Belle Dame, which is pronounced the same way. Belle Dame means 'beautiful lady.' La Belle Dame Sans Merci means 'the beautiful lady without mercy.' It is a ballad."

The beautiful lady without mercy. "A ballad?"

"By John Keats. He was a Classical poet, and he wrote La Belle Dame Sans Merci." He leaned back, closing his eyes and concentrating.

"_O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,_

_ Alone and palely loitering?_

_The sedge has wither'd from the lake,_

_And no birds sing._"

He nodded slowly. "That is how it begins, if I remember correctly." Dr. Windsor looked at Coraline, letting a small self-deprecating smirk cross his face. When did he acquire a personality? "I had an English minor in college. It was a ballad that one of my classmates analyzed. I had to sit through so many talks about it—I am surprised that I only remember one verse. If you like, I could dig it up someplace."

She nodded quickly, smiling. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Dr. Windsor smiled, then he turned to his desk and opened the drawer, taking out several papers. "Hmm. Here it is." He chuckled softly. "My old classmate dropped by recently. He gave me a copy as a joke."

He gave a few pages neatly stapled together to her, smiling. "It seems that you need it more than I. Keep it."

Coraline noticed how his smile seemed to light him up and warm his face. She smiled back. "Thanks."


	5. A Garland to Sing a Faery's Song

A/N: Here's the next chapter. It's shorter than the last one because the climax is coming.

* * *

Wybie hesitantly knocked on the Jones's door, shifting nervously. He pulled his coat further around him, glancing out at the gray sky. Three weeks. Nearing a month. Summer would end soon enough. School would start. Maybe he wouldn't need to be as watchful. Maybe Coraline wouldn't need him as much, and she would be free to leave his side and make new friends.

He didn't like the idea, strangely enough.

Mrs. Jones opened the door. She was probably the only adult in the house, and it seemed as though she were about to leave. She smiled at him, murmuring a quiet hello and gesturing him inside.

Wybie was right. She left as soon as the door closed.

He was used to it. He took his muddy shoes off at the doorway, walking up to Coraline's room and keeping a safe distance from the parlor.

It wasn't a surprise when he opened the door to see Coraline hard at work with a small doll. She was always with a needle and thread these days.

Before announcing himself, he breathed the air silently. He couldn't smell alcohol. There was a whiff of smoke, but it was fainter than usual. Wybie couldn't help but smile. If anything else, this work with the Other Mother was _helping_ his friend. She was now a full three without a sip of alcohol.

Coraline looked up at him, absently stroking the cat at her side and smiling. She had also become much more cheerful. "Good morning, Wybie. Come on in."

He sat on her bed slowly, looking at the doll she was making attentively. It looked oddly familiar… "What's that?"

She looked up, smiling and showing him the half-finished girl doll. "It's the sweet ghost girl, pre-buttons. Your grandma's twin sister. I thought that she would like to have something to remember her by." Coraline gestured to two glass brown eyes on her bedside table, the perfect size for the doll. "The Other Mother showed me how to make glass eyes. I don't like working with buttons."

A shadow crossed her face, and subconsciously, she fingered the knife at her belt that she had taken to carrying around constantly. It was just a mark of her continual distrust of her new teacher, no matter how much she learned.

Wybie grinned. "Wow! That's really nice of you, Jonesy. I bet she'll love it."

Coraline flashed him a smile before putting the doll aside. "It's not as good as I think it can be, so I'm waiting until it's the best I can make it." She shook herself off, stretching slightly. "Other Wybie is still telling me to stay away, but I think that he's just nervous. I beat her once. I can do it again. And he'll be able to come back."

Wybie smiled hesitantly, pulling his jacket tighter around himself. "How's Vera and Alfred?"

"They're great. Vera understands that I was out of it when I hit her, so she has totally forgiven me as long as I don't get that drunk around her. But I'm not touching a bottle again."

"Really? Th-That's great!" Wybie sputtered, breaking into a huge grin after a flash of surprise. She had never actually declared something like that. It had always been half-hearted attempts. But she never validated it with words. There was a surge of hope in his chest at the new development. In short, Wybourne Lovat was ecstatic at the news.

Coraline smiled. "No need to lose your cool over it." But it was obvious she didn't mind his enthusiasm. "No. I'm not going to drink again. And you and Cat will help me. Cat's already hidden all the bottles—you just need to keep an eye on me when he can't."

"I sure will, Jonesy," Wybie said, grinning like an idiot. "I'll help with whatever you want me to."

He felt himself blush when he realized the implications of his statement, but Coraline didn't seem to notice. He only blushed harder when he realized that he meant it. "That's great, Wybie." Coraline looked up, her eyes glazing slightly as she looked at the setting sun. "I…"

"It's okay."

Coraline looked up sharply. Wybie hugged his knees, smiling slightly and tilting his head. "You're worried that your dreams are made by you. You're worried that the Other Me is not really alive. But you can't check to make sure. But I can." He nodded. "I'll go to the Other World while you're with the Other Mother and see if I can find him. I'll make sure he's okay."

"You'd be in danger again."

Wybie smiled wryly. "So're you. Hey, if a copy of me was able to sacrifice himself for you, I think that I can try handling something like this, right?"

Coraline looked up slowly, smiling and cocking her head. "You don't need to keep proving yourself." She punched his shoulder, shaking her head. "So is tonight okay for you?"

"Sure. Gramma trusts me more around this place."

"Great. I think that she's planning on teaching me how to bring dolls to life—if everything goes okay, then you will just need to make sure he's okay and you can go through the tunnel and go back home."

Wybie nodded. Coraline smiled, but there was something weird in her eyes. Something dark. Hatred.

Wybie realized after a moment that the look wasn't directed at him. Coraline was directing it at herself.

Chilled slightly, he looked at the sky outside her window. "It's not quite night yet. So, do you want to play outside?"

"Sure."

---

_"Coraline, why did you do this?"_

_Dr. Windsor leaned forward, his bushy brow coming together worriedly. Coraline held out her right hand, frowning in confusion at all the puncture marks she had put there with a needle. "I… don't know. He doesn't have his right hand. Why should I?"_

_She prodded her hand slightly, examining the red dots. "My Other Father doesn't have his life. Why should I?"_

_Coraline let her hands fall into her lap. "The Ghost Children didn't have their souls. Why should I?"_

_Dr. Windsor sighed, scribbling something on his clipboard. "You're angry at yourself for surviving."_

_"That'd be stupid."_

_"Not stupid, but silly. Psychology is often silly when you think about it." He sighed gently. "You think that you don't deserve to live, but you owe it to the people who saved you to do so. So you make yourself as miserable as possible so you are sufficiently punished for being alive."_

_"That's stupid." She looked at the ceiling. "I'm going to save him. The Other Mother can do whatever the hell she wants with me after that."_

_He sighed gently._

---

"Giving life to a doll, in essence, is simple."

Coraline looked down at the lifeless boy doll in her hands. It looked like a traditional Native American stereotype, with a big feathered headdress, red skin, henna tattoos, braids, and a bow and arrow. She assumed that few people imagined Native Americans without eyes.

The Other Mother held up the pair of button eyes, grinning in a disturbing way, and gestured Coraline closer. "You put your mark on it and it's yours." She flipped the buttons over so that the bottoms were facing upwards. She reached out one of her sharp needle hands and took a paintbrush from a pot of brown paint, slowly painting a small design on the back of the button.

Without pausing, she sewed it on to the Native American doll. Immediately, the doll jerked slightly their hands, looking up at them. The light flashed over his new button eyes.

"This is life, Coraline."

---

"This is weird."

The stairway was warped as Wybie slowly climbed down to the basement. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the shadows and light seemed to be out of sync. It made the world look completely… wrong.

"Of course. This is outside of reality as you know it," the cat said, walking down the steps elegantly, seemingly unaffected by the altercation of lighting.

Wybie frowned, easing himself down off the stairs. He was now in the basement where Cat had said Other Wybie was. Shadows stretched out, and suddenly, the room seemed much larger and much smaller at the same time. Wybie squirmed, suddenly feeling extremely claustrophobic. There was a heavy scent in the air of dead roses.

_"Johnny, he promised to marry me,  
but I fear he's with some fair one and gone.  
There's something bewails a man, I don't know what it is,  
and I'm weary of lying alone."_

Wybie pawed through the darkness, finding a metal bar and holding tight. He looked down at the cat questioningly. "Who's that? Sounds like a woman…"

"I have never heard her before." Cat frowned, bounding into the darkness. The world seemed to illuminate slowly around them.

_"Well, Johnny he came there at the appointed hour.  
He tapped on the window so low,  
this fair maid arose and she hurried on her clothes  
and she bid her true love welcome home."_

There was a light tinkling of bells, and the mystery light allowed Wybie to vaguely make out rows of cells. He supposed that even mystical Other Mothers were into cliché dungeon scenes.

There was a dark thing deep in one of the cells, completely motionless. It seemed to absorb the light around it, emanating something much stronger. Wybie had a feeling that it could get out of the cell any damn time it wanted.

He was careful to give it a wide berth.

_"She took him by the hand and she lay him down.  
She felt he was as cold as the clay.  
She said, My dearest dear, if I only had my wish,  
this long night would never turn to day."_

Wybie resisted the urge to hum along with the song. The smell of dead flowers was enough to give him a headache.

"Wybie?" he ventured softly. There was a soft scrabbling.

"Here!"

Wybie stumbled after the voice of the cat.

_"Oh, crow up, crow up my little bird,  
and don't crow before it is day,_

_and you'll keep shielding made of the glittering gold  
and your door of silver so gay."_

The boy could make out the image of a button-eyed version of himself behind the bars. They both recoiled from each other, odd expressions flashing over both faces. So this was the Other Wybie Coraline cared for so much.

Wybie didn't know why, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to meet his Other.

Other Wybie clutched the bars, his lips moving slightly, but he couldn't say anything.

"Hey, I'm Wybie. I'm from the Other… Other World," Wybie began awkwardly.

Other Wybie paused, then shook his head slowly. He held out his right arm, showing the stump where his right hand had been (Wybie was suddenly really glad that Coraline had warned him about that) and wearing an expression of total desperation.

_"And where is your soft bed of down, my love?  
And where is your white hall and sheet?  
And where is the fair maid who watches over you  
as you lie in your long, dreamless sleep?"_

"What's wrong?"

"He is trying to ward his beloved from this place," a soft, whispery voice murmured. Other Wybie looked up sharply, blushing and shaking his head sharply. The whispery voice did not respond save for a small sigh that may or may not have been a laugh. "She is the next mistress."

_"Oh, the sand is my soft bed of down, my love,  
and the sea is my white hall and sheet.  
The long, hungry worms they do feed off of me  
as I lie every night in the deep."_

"Who is that? The woman who's singing…"

"The Faery's Child. La Belle Dame Sans Merci."

Other Wybie seemed to be listening intently. He didn't know about this.

"Who are you?"

"One of the original servants. But you shouldn't concern yourself, child. You shouldn't concern yourself."

Other Wybie made frantic movements with his hands, grabbing Wybie's wrists very suddenly. Wybie's first instinct was to recoil from this button-eyed copy of himself, but he resisted the urge. His Other Self was trying to tell him something. Apparently, it wasn't working.

_"Oh, when shall I see you my love? she cried  
Oh, when shall I see you again?  
When little fishes fly and the seas they do run dry  
and the hard rocks do melt with the sun."_

"Who's the Faery's Child? Why is she here?"

"It is the rules of the game." The voice seemed to hover very close to his ear briefly before receding deeper into the dungeon. "She is here to contribute to the reigning Beldam."

"You mean the Other Mother?"

"No longer. The Ice Queen. The Lady of Glass."

"What are you talking about?"

_"When little fishes fly and the seas they do run dry  
and the hard rocks do melt with the sun."_

The song was over. A deathly silence fell over the room. Wybie felt strong, oddly hard arms wrap around him. There was the gentle rattle of chains and he fell into unconsciousness.

---

_Dr. Windsor was humming that day. Coraline recognized the song. She frowned at the ceiling, struggling to figure out which one it was. _

_"You say that the Other Mother is almost finished with you?"_

_"Yeah. I'm kind of surprised. I would have thought that it would take longer, but it was all so natural."_

_"Do you think you like her?"_

_"Never. Not after the things she has done."_

_"But you have almost completed your apprenticeship." _

_"So?"_

_"That is almost consenting to be her replacement."_

_"I'll never be like her. Never."_

_Dr. Windsor was silent._

_Coraline figured out the name of the song. Ghost Lover. She hummed softly, closing her eyes and letting visions of dolls and buttons dance through her head. _


	6. I Love Thee True

A/N: This is a very short chapter. I apologize, but if I went farther it would have bled into the next chapter.

* * *

Wybie woke up on a stone floor. He sat up, doing a quick self-examination. There was dried blood at the back of his head, but otherwise, he couldn't feel any other wounds.

"Wybie! Wybie!"

The boy jumped up immediately, struggling to see through the darkness. "Coraline!"

There was the grinding sound of stone against stone. A gust of ice-cold wind rushed past him, and a deathly cold hand grasped his shoulder.

Wybie let out a shout of surprise and fear, but the hand pulled him upwards…

And he was suddenly sitting in the Jones's parlor. He couldn't help but muse inwardly how utterly anticlimactic that was.

That was before he noticed the company he was with.

Wybie shrank, huddling into his seat and making himself as small as possible, staring with wide eyes at everyone around him. Coraline removed her cold hand from his shoulder, frowning at the others in the room and patting his arm. Neither were sure who she was trying to reassure.

The Other Mother was sitting on the couch, her back arched, her face cracked porcelain, her body metallic and spider-like, her mouth in a nasty smile. A man—something like an old-style knight—was sitting in the doorway, kneeling with his sword driven into the ground. His helmet, armor, sword… it was all made of stone.

Lastly, a small, slight woman was sitting on a chair across from them. Her skin was pale, her eyes sad yet fiery, and flowers adorned her golden hair. She only wore a simple modest white dress, falling to her ankles, and there was a weird sense that she was the most powerful in the room by far.

She raised hands with shackles hanging from her wrists, bowing her head. "Greetings."

Coraline sat up, and Wybie saw that his Other Self was sitting next to her. Other Wybie was trembling in obvious fear, looking up at Coraline and begging with his button eyes for something.

"Who are you?"

Coraline wrapped her cold arms around both Wybie's protectively. The boys immediately snuggled close to her, calming visibly. Strength that Wybie had been afraid of disappearing was strong and steady within his friend, rippling out and shielding the boys.

The blonde woman looked up, eyes flickering with a snubbed inner light. "All Belle Dames… their names are written on water, as was mine. Call me what you will. I am the first. That is all one needs to know."

"The first?"

The Other Mother looked up, smirking. "I just call her Faery, dear. It's less of a mouthful than most of her names."

Coraline's eyes widened. "You're the one in the ballad!"

Faery cocked her head, looking at the fire. "Yes. I am."

The Other Mother stood slowly, her legs tapping against the ground ominously. "You don't understand what is happening, Coraline. That is the point. We're playing another game." A nasty smirk started unfolding on her face. Coraline immediately tensed, her protective grip around the boys tightening. "It would be a… strategy game. You must find and defeat the Faery and the Knight. Otherwise, your friends and you are mine, buttons and all."

"Wait, how am I supposed to—" but no one answered. Coraline, Wybie, and Other Wybie were all suddenly in a wall-less shack. There were shelves against the only wall holding the roof up, a door set in it speaking of another room. There was a furnace, glowing orange with heat, a stool near it, and… all the tools needed for glassblowing.

"What?!"

Coraline scrambled to the door, glancing in. "Just a bunch of ice and tools." She slammed the door, growling in frustration. "What are we supposed to do?!"

"Use your wits."

All three kids jumped in surprise. The cat jumped on the stool, his black tail swishing and his eyes sharp. "She left you with the basics. Now you need to figure them out before She finds a way to stop you."

The Other Wybie jumped up suddenly, gesturing frantically at his button eyes.

"Wybie?"

"You need to cut his eyes out."

Both Wybie and Coraline paled, staring at the cat. Other Wybie nodded emphatically, reaching into his pocket and shoving a thread scissors into Coraline's hand. She promptly shrieked and dropped them. "NO! I'm not cutting out your _eyes!_"

"Seriously!" Wybie said, slowly sitting on the ground and looking mildly sick.

Other Wybie frowned, looking at Coraline beseechingly and picking up the scissors again.

"She can use him as long as he has her mark. For observation or forceful intervention. She increased the power of her control when you began your apprenticeship. You can override her spell yourself if you take away his eyes."

"NO!"

Other Wybie's mouth set in a determined line, his hand tightening on the scissors.

"If you do it, you will be able to alter the spell." The cat started delicately licking his paw. "If you don't, he will try to do it himself."

Wybie's mouth fell open and he stared openly up at his Other Self. Coraline looked like she would be sick. "You're not serious."

Other Wybie nodded purposefully.

"You'll just mess yourself up!" Coraline snatched the scissors from him. "I'll do it. Do you have a needle and thread and paintbrush? I'm assuming you stole this from the Other Mother's workshop. That must have taken guts."

The boy with the button eyes's mouth went in a small 'O' of surprise before smiling, abashed, and the rough cloth that made his cheeks went slightly pinker.

Wybie gagged at the mental image of Coraline cutting out his Other's eyes and buried his face in his knees. "Don't do it if I'm watching!"

"Just… cover your eyes. I need to be out in the light."

Coraline bit her lip, putting the scissors on the table and rushing inside. Other Wybie dug his hands in his pockets, pulling out a needle and a spool of thread. His hands were shaking slightly.

The girl came out again with a paintbrush and a small tray of ice. "There was no paint…."

Wybie closed his eyes and covered his ears. Other Wybie nervously hugged himself. Coraline was pale, but she set her mouth in a grim line and picked up the scissors. "I'm sorry, Wybie."

The Other Wybie looked up, smiling reassuringly. He touched her shoulder gently before impulsively kissing her forehead softly. He was ready.

---

_"I don't think you will try to save yourself."_

_Coraline was barely listening to Dr. Windsor. _

_"Why do you keep trying, then?"_

_"For the same reason I think that I have hope you will heal. We both are similar in this way. We won't help ourselves for our sake, but for the sake of those we care about."_

_Coraline looked up briefly. _

_"You won't help yourself. You will help your friends, and to do that you need to help yourself first."_


	7. Her Elfin Grot

A/N: My sincerest apologies for the long time it took, and the tiny chapter on top of it. I was in camp for four weeks and I had had tests and finals before that. I'll try to get the next one in faster!

* * *

Other Wybie whimpered very softly in pain, obviously struggling to keep any other sounds down. Coraline's hand was steady as she dipped her paintbrush in the melting ice, painting a symbol on the back of the buttons instinctively. The black button painting on the back washed away easily, only replaced by a sharp picture of a crystal that Coraline didn't remember ever seeing before. But she had painted it with water. And the water hardened, turning it into a painting in frost.

She threaded the needle carefully, sewing the buttons back in. Other Wybie bit his lip to keep from crying out, but Coraline didn't pause. She instead concentrated on the bluish color of the tips of her fingers as they twisted and sewed.

She was quick to finish, knot the thread, and cut.

Other Wybie let out a soft sigh of relief, gingerly touching his eyes. He smiled, giving Coraline a small thumbs-up. His skin was still cloth. His eyes were still buttons. But the very tips of his fingers looked a little blue…

"Is it over?" Wybie asked quietly, daring to peak out from behind his hands.

"Yeah. Don't worry. Now what do we do?"

The cat sat on the work table, curling his tail around his paws. "Find the Knight and the Faery. Defeat them."

"Well, yeah, but I don't know them at all!" Coraline threw up her hands. "At least with the Other Mother, I had some, I don't know, context to put her in! I knew what she would fall for! I don't know anything about these guys."

"And that guy made out of stone doesn't exactly look like someone who you can beat up," Wybie said, hunching over slightly and crossing his arms nervously. He glanced over at his button-eyed counterpart, looking straight at his feet after one brief look at the face that was so eerily like his own. "Do you have any ideas about them?"

Other Wybie frowned sadly, shaking his head.

"If you need 'context,' then find it," the cat said, tilting his chin up arrogantly as if the answer were obvious. "Find out what you can. Build up an army."

"An army? How do I do that? There isn't any cloth or thread or needles or glass eyes in there!"

"Wait, wait…" Wybie suddenly frowned thoughtfully, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "There was something a voice in the dungeon said… when I was looking for, uh, the Other me. They were talking about the reigning Beldam—I think they were talking about you, Jonesy—and they called you the Ice Queen. I think they expect you to use the ice and stuff to make dolls."

"What?!" Coraline furiously ran a hand through her hair. "No one ever bothered teaching me how to work with ice!"

"Just… try?" Wybie shrugged, sighing. "I can't think of anything else to do right now, Jonesy."

Coraline glared at the ground for a long, long moment. "Then you guys try to figure out what's going on. Something tells me that we'll be here for a while—try to find something we can live off of while I try to do this… ice sculpture thing."

Other Wybie looked conflicted for a long moment, then slowly, he tugged on his real self's sleeve gently. Wybie stiffened. This went against the silent agreement they had seemed to develop to ignore each other. He avoided looking at his Other. "Uh… yeah?"

"I think he wants you to go with him." Coraline gathered up any tools she could find and kicked the door to the inside of the shed open. "Don't worry—he wouldn't take you anyplace dangerous unless there's a really good reason. Trust him."

"Trust him. That's what she says. Trust the living doll that looks just like me with buttons for eyes…" Wybie muttered under his breath, but he took her word for it. When Other Wybie walked into the woods, he followed him, leaving Coraline to figure out the ice sculptures.

---

Both the Wybies stayed in awkward silence, only tensing up when they got to the edge of the woods and stared at the imposing Pink Palace. (Wybie only realized how ridiculous that sounded after he thought it.) The leaves crunched under their feet, and the sky was perpetually night.

Wybie didn't like it.

Other Wybie glanced at his counterpart, making small gestures at the window at the far corner of the house. "That's where you think we should go?"

Other Wybie nodded.

"Why?"

He hesitated, then tapped his button eye. He held out his gloved hand, wriggling his fingers like spider legs.

"That's where she works?"

He nodded.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Wybie wrung his hands nervously and slowly crept up to the house. The unnerving part was that he couldn't hear Other Wybie walking behind him, but he knew that he was being followed.

They both gathered at the indicated window, peaking in apprehensively. It was the Other Mother's workshop. It was completely empty.

Other Wybie slowly opened the door, climbing inside. Wybie helped his Other inside, biting his lip nervously as he touched the rough cloth skin and felt the comparative lightness. There was something weird about someone being so _human_ and yet so… not.

The Other started trembling as he crawled into the window and onto a worktable. He turned around, holding out his hands, and after a nervous hesitation, Wybie grabbed his wrists and let him help him inside.

Inside, it was just black. The two boys hugged each other, shaking, and waited until their eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Wybie shifted, pawing the worktable to see where it ended. Something sharp stabbed deep in his palm, eliciting a stifled cry of pain. Other Wybie instinctively grabbed Wybie's hurt hand, feeling for the problem and pulling out a needle gently.

Wybie sighed in relief. "Thanks."

Other Wybie nodded and tentatively scooted to the edge, stepping to the ground. Wybie followed his Other, nursing his hurt hand.

"What are we looking for?"

Other Wybie didn't respond. He was shaking, staring at the rapidly clarified room around them.

Half-done dolls, both human-sized and not, were lying on the worktables, partially sewn up or stuffed with sawdust. Various sharp and not-so-sharp tools covered the tables and hung on the walls, casting nightmarish shadows. Under the tables, there were shelves of boxes, books, and even more tools and materials.

This was the place that Other Wybie had been created. This was the place all of the Others had been created.

Wybie shook, thoroughly unnerved by the thought of the things that had happened in that room. His Other must have been terrified.

He rubbed the back of his neck, hesitantly putting a hand on his Other's shoulder. "L-Let's look through some of the books. M-Maybe there's something there."

Other Wybie snapped out of his fearful daze, nodding and going on the floor to grab some of the books.


End file.
